Sometimes, It's Not Obvious
by belncaz
Summary: Midorima and Kuroko's first anniversary as a couple is coming up, but it's also Kuroko's birthday. Midorima's not sure how to handle the dual celebration and seeks help from their friends to ensure it all goes well. T for safety with some small references to adult themes, but it is really a slice-of-life story of what I imagine their relationship would be like.


Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke

A/N: This was inspired by a lovely comment from CeallachRion that reminded me of the joys of MidoKuro, so here's my attempt to write this pair as a thank you for it. :) Also…if you could pretend the 31st was on a Saturday this year, that helps. ;-)

Anyway, I hope you like it! But be warned…it's a little overly sappy. :)

Sometimes, It's Not Obvious

If anyone passing the modest rental home off a quiet street a little distance away from the university in downtown Tokyo ever wondered about its two occupants, Kuroko Tetsuya and Midorima Shintaro, they may have been surprised to learn that the reserved young men were more than mere roommates. It wasn't that the pair hid their relationship; it simply didn't occur to the casual observer that they got along well enough to do more than barely tolerate one another. Whenever a neighbor might catch a glimpse of them, it seemed they were either keeping a polite distance from each other or actively arguing. They might have noticed in particular that a common complaint seemed to be Midorima's irritation with Nigou. But those moments were only fractions of their lives together. There was naturally much more, but it was rarely visible for the public's consumption.

Still, even those closest to them from middle and high school were somewhat astonished that they had finally paired off. It had happened so gradually that it might have gone unnoticed altogether, except that it couldn't, really. There were too many people in their lives to completely overlook the ever-so-slight change in their demeanors from the awkwardly respectful antagonism to something else that was more difficult to define, but it was something that eventually became noticeably softer. Whatever it was, it spoke of shared secrets and unexpected flashes of heat tempered with a comfortable intimacy that was hard-won from their years of observations while working both with and against each other.

Midorima had never denied his respect for Kuroko, but as he'd flatly told Takao the first time they'd played against Seirin, he'd detested that Kuroko hadn't gone to a stronger high school. Yet it was really all in the perspective of things – wasn't that just his way of saying he knew Kuroko's worth? He'd also been wary of their presumably incompatible blood types and the discord between Cancer and Aquarius that was continually heralded by Oha Asa. It had seemed to be reinforced as they found themselves unable to agree on anything except the importance of doing one's best, even though they hadn't always meant quite the same thing by that sentiment.

However, there was much that Midorima admired about the other man as well. While the episode still evoked a twinge of embarrassment, he didn't think he could ever forget the skillful way Kuroko had pointed out how idiotic his and Murasakibara's quarreling had been by simply pitting himself against them in an informal game. In retrospect, Kuroko's strength of character had been evident from the very beginning. Kuroko's work ethic mirrored his own, they were both difficult to get to know, and equally loyal to those that had made that effort. Neither of them wore the other out with needless chatter, yet their awareness of one another's moods seemed uncannily prescient. Midorima valued Kuroko's frankness, his dependability, and in the end, Seirin and Kuroko had both surprised him with their strength. In time, he acknowledged the possibility that even Oha Asa might not be infallible.

Perhaps with all that in mind, they might also point to the fact Midorima had given Kuroko a rolling pencil of his own, and that Kuroko's absence from their first attempt with the arcade photo booth had been sharply observed by the shooting guard. Maybe it wasn't so strange, on reflection, to think that there might have already been a hint of reluctant fondness for the smaller male in his heart.

If anything, Kuroko's attachment to Midorima had proved to be the greater surprise for their friends. Everyone remembered Kuroko's calm chiding of Midorima for failing to understand the value of a dunk for a team's morale and his time had usually been claimed by the others from Teiko – especially Aomine. Then of course they'd parted ways for high school, yet somehow that distance had allowed them both a greater freedom. And yet, they admittedly couldn't forget those instances of Kuroko quietly replacing Midorima's tape when it got low or his immediate donation of the book he'd just acquired when Oha Asa had called for a light novel as Midorima's lucky item for the day.

Even so, it had taken well into their third year of high school, when they were all good naturedly gathered to celebrate Kuroko's birthday, for Takao to finally lose his patience with the two of them. Perhaps it was his hawk eye put to a different use, or maybe he was just genuinely one of the few people that could truly see both Midorima and Kuroko, but after catching one too many of their awkward glances at each other, he'd decided that was more than enough.

It hadn't really taken much, he'd learned some diplomacy during the past two years, and with far more subtly than might otherwise be expected, Takao had gotten Midorima and Kuroko apart from the rest of the group. Oddly enough, it was one of the few times they'd ever been alone together and it seemed that just possibly that the only thing missing – an opportunity – was suddenly realized. Nobody witnessed their interaction so it was difficult to say how it had progressed. It wasn't either of their styles to just blurt out their attraction or admiration in a grandiose manner, and they certainly didn't return to the others showing signs of having ravaged each other, meaning it was left up to everyone's imagination as to what had actually transpired.

What everyone did pick up on however, was that for the first time in any of their memories, Kuroko sat next to Midorima even with other seats being available. It was enough. That small shift signaled as much as if they had taken an advertisement in the paper and there were smiles and speculative smirks from all those in attendance; not that Midorima or Kuroko dignified any of that with so much as a shrug.

But then it was time to graduate and proceed on to university – Kuroko to study elementary education and Midorima to prepare to eventually become a doctor. They both had part-time jobs and among the chaos of work, school, and even the occasional game of street ball, they quietly began forging an identity that was theirs, together. Aomine was often heard teasing the pair about their extremely settled lifestyle – they seemed rather too sedate to be young men in their prime – but it was what worked for them.

However, at that particular moment Midorima's mind was occupied with other things rather more pressing than defending himself to Aomine. It was the second week of January, meaning time was running out to finalize his plans for Kuroko's birthday, which was also the anniversary of their first tentative steps toward a relationship when they'd finally admitted they were interested in each other. A pre-anniversary of sorts, but an important occasion nonetheless. It meant the pressure was on and Midorima was not entirely certain the odds were in his favor.

What really bothered him about the whole business was that he knew Kuroko wouldn't ignore the anniversary either – meaning he had to strike a careful balance between competitiveness and consideration. It wouldn't do to try to bundle the occasions together, but if he went overboard, it might cause embarrassment for Kuroko.

Midorima had mercilessly evaluated his own strengths and talents as he tried to figure out the best approach but it ended up depressing him. He couldn't cook, he wasn't artistic, and while he knew they would meet up with their former teammates for basketball at some point, he refused to settle for that even knowing Kuroko would love it. There was still time to figure something out, but he was adamantly opposed to throwing something together at the last minute.

As it turned out, he ended up with a band of ready-made recruits that were only too happy to help him. It began harmlessly enough while on the phone with Akashi as he'd reluctantly expressed his concern over what to do for the dual-holiday. He'd been sitting on the couch, flipping somewhat disgruntledly through various television channels while thinking it over, when his phone rang. Upon seeing it was Akashi, he muted the television and answered. After they exchanged greetings, the redhead got straight to the crux of the matter by inquiring about plans for Kuroko's birthday and their anniversary. Midorima didn't know why he felt even the slightest bit of amazement that Akashi could zero in on the one thing he didn't want to talk about right then.

"Midorima, this indecisiveness isn't like you. Kuroko neither expects nor wants something over the top. In all likelihood he's probably forgotten that day is also his birthday and is more excited about your anniversary." The slight amusement came through the phone clearly and Midorima didn't have to strain his imagination to envision Akashi's indulgent expression.

"I'm aware, but that is also part of the problem. I can't overlook the fact he'll be planning something, too!" The frustration in the normally excessively-composed man's voice was more than enough evidence to demonstrate this situation was escalating – even if it was only due to Midorima's own personality.

Akashi contemplated the situation for a moment before offering a suggestion. "Why don't we just celebrate his birthday a day or so early then? It's not as if anyone could honestly imagine you don't know when it actually is after all, but it'll let you separate the two events. I'm sure both of you would prefer some privacy for your anniversary anyway so use the first occasion to get seeing all of us out of the way."

Midorima felt sucker punched. It was a blindingly elegant solution and he was immensely grateful for it. Until Akashi continued speaking, that is.

"Yes, that's certainly the best answer. We'll treat it like a surprise party so that will help explain the timing. I'll get to work letting the others know and we'll handle arrangements for the birthday party and let you concentrate on your anniversary." Akashi's voice contained a decisiveness that hinted at a strategy more suited to a military campaign than a festive encounter and it worried Midorima.

"Uhm, Akashi...didn't you just say Kuroko wouldn't want something over the top?" The bespectacled man tried not to let his anxiousness be heard, but Akashi knew him too well to miss it.

"Are you possibly accusing me of poor taste, Midorima? Surely I'm imagining such a hurtful accusation from my dear friend." Akashi was definitely laughing at him, the bastard. "Don't worry so much, it'll be fine. I'll be in touch with the details."

Midorima didn't get a chance to protest as Akashi ended the phone call on a mischievous chuckle. Instead he simply leaned his head back against the wall, closed his eyes, and sighed. He should have known better. He stayed that way for a few moments until he felt someone's weight drop down next to him. He opened one eye and took in Kuroko's arrival. He was back from class, then.

"Good afternoon Midorima-kun. You look tired, is everything alright?" Kuroko was never one to mince words but the impulse was driven by concern, not intrusiveness, an important distinction that they both understood.

"Yes, just mulling through some logistics with colleagues. But it should be alright in the end. How has your day gone so far?" Midorima didn't let himself feel guilty for his evasiveness; it was for the greater good after all.

Kuroko sent him a patient look that plainly conveyed his awareness that Midorima was keeping something from him but that he would allow it for the moment. He settled back more comfortably into the sofa and calmly recounted the events of his day.

Midorima could feel himself relaxing as Kuroko spoke; his quiet voice was soothing even as he shared the frustrations and humor that naturally arose from working with small children. Kuroko's seminar that day had been an observer-participant exercise with primary school children and it had been both exceedingly draining and very rewarding. As Kuroko continued his story, Midorima found himself almost absently rubbing the back of his boyfriend's neck in silent support. It hadn't escaped either of their notices that their two callings – education and medicine – both manifested different ways of caring for others. They found that it presented unique challenges to their relationship as they had to remember to save some of their energy for themselves or risk emotional burnout.

Once Kuroko fell silent, they stared at the muted television screen for a moment before Kuroko teasingly asked if Midorima had signed them up for a lip-reading course and forgotten to mention it to him. The green haired male shot a half smile of acknowledgment towards Kuroko and turned the volume back on. They watched a game show and the afternoon news before they got up made preparations for dinner. The evening was filled with the simple domestic routine they'd worked out almost by accident; Kuroko would take Nigou for a walk while Midorima washed the dinner dishes and after they had returned, both Kuroko and Midorima would tackle their mountains of readings and assignments. As it came up, laundry would be attended to and touch-ups to their neat dwelling would be traded off between them. Sometimes they simply fell into exhausted slumber with no energy to spare for romance. But there was something there, in the shadowed entanglement of limbs and peaceful rhythmic breathing, which might suggest romance wasn't always a showy blitz of physicality. Then again…there were evenings when that was just the thing they needed.

Midorima still wasn't entirely sure how it had happened that first time, with the both of them so assiduously polite and unwilling to rush the other. It had been inevitably awkward and filled with blushes and laughter, along with tensing from discomfort and soft kisses of apology and praise, and finally, thankfully, the satisfaction of finding the pacing and placement they both enjoyed. They'd gradually learned each other and now while there might still be some of those same elements; it was always deliberately arranged and much more efficiently deployed. Tonight wasn't one of those nights, however. Midorima had an early class and they were both up late with their homework. Perhaps Aomine had a point after all, but he honestly didn't have the time to examine it any further right now.

It wasn't until that weekend that Midorima was reminded of how terribly fearsome an opponent Akashi could be as he was roped into a conference call with the others from Teiko as well as Takao and Kagami. In the few days since he'd spoken with the redhead, Akashi had conscripted all of them into assigned roles for Kuroko's birthday. They would naturally have a basketball game and dinner, but Akashi wasn't going to let it happen without proper guidance. He'd shrewdly put Kagami and Murasakibara in charge of food, Aomine would tackle games and music, Momoi and Kise would handle decorations, Takao was in charge of drawing Kuroko away from the house while preparations were carried out, and Midorima was given the impression that he was supposed to simply stay out of their way. Akashi meanwhile was working on 'a surprise' that he wouldn't provide any further details about.

Midorima was left with little choice but to focus his attention on the logistics for the other aspect of the celebration – their anniversary. Suddenly, while his work had been cut in half, it felt as though the pressure had tripled. With the others taking care of the birthday elements, suddenly there was no excuse not to pull off something especially impressive. It took almost until the day they were going to hold Kuroko's surprise party, but Midorima finally found something he was confident about. And then it was time to put it all together, as the day for the party arrived on a bright and clear Friday.

It started with ensuring his boyfriend had his lucky item for the day – a travel size bottle of green shampoo – because coincidentally his lucky color was green, of course. Kuroko had smiled at the gesture, he was used to Midorima either handing him or tucking into his pocket the assorted oddities prescribed by Oha Asa by this point. He tolerated it because he knew it made Midorima happy, but he wasn't particularly convinced they were effective. Kuroko only had morning classes that day and as he'd mentioned, he was having lunch with Takao afterwards and asked if Midorima wanted to join them. Midorima nodded, he'd already been politely encouraged – or ordered if one were to get technical about it – by Akashi to go anyway. With a plan to meet at a particular restaurant agreed upon, Kuroko departed.

Soon after, their home became a hive of activity, with Akashi and the others arriving to carry out their plans. Aomine, taking advantage of Kuroko's rare absence, began poking into cupboards and closets as he was apparently in search of something. Recalling his antics from the first time they'd all meet at Kagami's apartment, Midorima sharply scolded him with the assertion that they did not keep pornography. The tall blue haired teen tsked at that but shrugged and went about setting up his responsibilities – with significant delays as he kept getting distracted by playing with Nigou.

When Midorima left to go meet Kuroko and Takao for lunch, it was with no little trepidation that he surveyed the utter chaos that their friends had wrought so far. Akashi merely smiled serenely and ushered him out with the assurance all would be ready in time. Although Midorima knew the other male to be capable and resourceful, he still felt a stab of unease as he heard the fractious squabbling that was ensuing when the door closed behind him.

Even so, lunch was a leisurely affair with the trio huddled in a corner table at a low-key restaurant that had become a favorite of theirs – in part because they had a version of red bean soup which was served alongside many of the entrees that Midorima particularly enjoyed. Takao smiled when he saw Kuroko edge his own bowl of the soup closer to Midorima in a silent urge for his partner to take it.

After lunch, Kuroko mentioned he wanted to stop by the nearby bookstore and the other two agreed to accompany him, they hadn't yet been notified it was safe to return so this was a welcome delay. Kuroko browsed the aisles with the lazy progress of a reader with truly eclectic tastes – he moved from paranormal mystery to classic literature to the latest manga with hardly a blink and stopped by fantasy, romance, and travel with equal appreciation. As he headed over to biographies, Midorima tentatively mentioned their book budget and Takao laughed at the pout on Kuroko's face, unsurprised to see Midorima waver and amend his prior caution with, " _just one more, and I mean it,_ _Kuroko."_ It was all about the ability to compromise sometimes.

When Midorima's phone dinged and he checked the message, he saw they were finally allowed to return. From the eye roll that Takao provided, he'd gotten a similar message. Kuroko surprised both of them by inviting Takao to their home for the evening – they'd tentatively discussed ways to either have Takao circle back to their house or to engineer a reason for him to accompany them but it seemed Kuroko was feeling sociable that day.

They meandered back towards the couple's home, and Midorima prayed that the damage was minimal. As they approached, all looked quiet, just as if they weren't approaching the site of a surprise party and Midorima was cautiously optimistic. It took only their opening the door and entering for all the lights to be switched on and an enthusiastic group cheer of "Happy Birthday, Kuroko!" erupted. Startled, Kuroko jumped back against Midorima who chuckled at the movement but then Kuroko grasped what was happening and was laughing and calling out greetings and thanks to those who'd gathered.

The afternoon was festive and full of cheerful teasing and games that Aomine had constructed ranging from the tame to the questionable – including one involving a suspiciously large quantity of hot-sauce spiked nihonshu that everyone refused to participate in despite his protest that it was Friday and they didn't have to behave on the weekend. Those vile mixtures ended up being cautiously dumped into a houseplant that had done nothing to deserve such abuse and when Midorima saw it happening, he was about to angrily protest before Akashi mollified him with the promise to replace the plant if it didn't survive.

Aomine's musical selections thankfully went over much better, and there were several mock dance-offs at various points during the party. The food had been prepared with the aim of balancing the need for feeding so many mouths and honoring the special nature of the day; resulting in many clashes between comfort food and near-gourmet creations that had been provided from the dual efforts of Murasakibara and Kagami. Momoi and Kise had organized banners, balloons, and lanterns as large-scale decorations, but they'd also thoughtfully provided beautiful arrangements of auspicious plants and flowers. Kuroko could see numerous other touches around their home that clearly showed the duo had been busy, but he hardly had time to take it in with the lively atmosphere of the celebration.

It was almost with regret that they left to have their traditional basketball game, but that too, was fun – and slightly different now that they weren't all regularly playing. Nobody would go so far as to say anyone was rusty, and it was probably not helped that a few of them had at least tried Aomine's horrible bartending concoctions before unceremoniously dumping them on the poor houseplant that had somehow been designated for that purpose. But it seemed to be more about the camaraderie than the points and they all had fun.

Once the game was over, and they cheerfully returned to Midorima's and Kuroko's home, Akashi's mysterious smile alerted Midorima that he hadn't yet seen the 'surprise' promised by the redhead and was slightly suspicious as Akashi gradually gathered them all outside on the patio. It turned out that Kuroko _had_ actually remembered it was his birthday alongside their anniversary and had anxiously contacted Akashi several weeks ago about how to balance the two events – just as Midorima had. While Kuroko hadn't known about the party, he'd been working with Akashi on something else that the redhead elected to show Midorima that evening. With a subtle nod to Aomine, who'd been instructed to play an unlabeled song track at Akashi's signal, a soft hint of classical music filtered through the speakers.

Akashi looked at Midorima, arched an eyebrow and urged quietly, "Go dance with the birthday boy, Midorima. He's been practicing."

Midorima was caught off guard but as he saw Kuroko's shyly pleased look, he could only follow through and solemnly asked Kuroko if he might have this dance. It might have provided an opportunity for mockery from almost anyone else, but it was difficult to deny the connection between the tall green haired man and his blue haired partner, even from their former teammates who were taken by surprise with this encounter. The moment was almost too fragile to sustain itself but it did somehow. They were all unexpectedly caught up by the subtle shine in the green and blue eyes of the pair as they moved around the patio to the melodic strains of a waltz that probably only Midorima and Akashi even knew the name of, surrounded by the glow of the lanterns that Kise and Momoi had arranged. When the song came to an end, nobody was particularly surprised that they embraced for a moment before separating – that was how they were, the most minimal of exchanges between them evoked the seriousness of their bond, but it was rare that they showed even this extent of it it to others.

The evening wasn't destined to end on that note however, despite its truly special quality; they were still young adults who couldn't wallow in the sentiment forever, after all. And so perhaps it was fitting that Nigou decided he'd been ignored for quite long enough thank you, and bounced over to Midorima and Kuroko with a playful bark – he wanted to play this game too, apparently. And the party regained its less serious character with speedy alacrity.

It would be hours later, when they finally saw the last of their guests off, extinguished the extra lights, and cleaned up the items that needed immediate attention with the promise to finish in the morning, that Midorima would turn to Kuroko with a quiet wish for a happy birthday and give him the gift he'd arranged. It was a multimedia scrapbook of the things that reminded him of Kuroko and ranged from actual photos that he'd gotten from their friends to a copy of Nigou's paw print. And then toward the back, there was a blank section with the promisingly titled caption, "Our First Anniversary," and showed tickets for travel to a nearby resort the next day and returning early Monday morning – it would have to be a quick trip in deference to their obligations.

Kuroko saw this, and closed the book with a smile, hugging it to his chest before looking up at Midorima.

"It seems we think alike, Midorima-kun." On that enigmatic note, Kuroko grabbed Midorima's hand and tugged him to their room, where he unearthed a travel itinerary for their term break. They smiled and Kuroko set down his book on the dresser. The air was still but seemed to hum with promise and the expectation of what might be next, something that was on both their minds with equally fervent intent.

And then, because it was really all that was left to do, they made sure their door was shut to keep out Nigou, who knew that signaled he wasn't getting to cuddle with them that evening and made his way to a comfortable spot in the living room. So maybe their neighbors might have been surprised to learn they were a couple, but that evening as they celebrated their relationship in the most basic way possible, it wasn't about whose turn it was to take care of a chore or a disproportionately angry disagreement over some trivial matter – it was the nonsensically exhilarating connection that those in love share because they're helpless to do otherwise.


End file.
